The mayoral candidate for the Women’s Equality Party is hopeful that their policies will continue to influence the debate after the London Mayor is announced later today.
Sophie Walker attracted thousands of supporters with her policies urging equality at all levels of London life.
Speaking today at City Hall she said: “We feel like we have won already really because we’ve had such a positive reception and we’ve seen happen in this campaign precisely what we set out to do, which was to get all the other parties talk about equality for women.”
The Women’s Equality Party are pushing for equal pay and equal opportunities in family life and the workplace.
Ms Walker said; “We have got a situation where the two main front runners, Sadiq Khan is describing himself as a proud feminist, who’s going to close the pay gap in London, and Zac Goldsmith has been talking about violence against women and girls in London.”
“The other parties have seen that it is really important to incorporate the needs of the other 50% of the population.”
Although the latest YouGov poll put the party on 2%, Ms Walker believes their progress is a solid base to build on.
Ms Walker said: “Whoever is mayor at city hall knows there is now a political party with thousands of members who will be voting that way if they do not see enough action from the other parties.”
Ms Walker hopes that Mr Khan will deliver on his promises to improve equality across the city.
“If it does turn out to be Sadiq Kahn we want to see action,” she said.
“There is a lot of talking the talk on this stuff and we want to it actually happen, so we’re not going away.”
Comedian Sandi Toksvig co-founded the party recently in 2015 believing there was a need for a party to campaign for more equality.
Ms Walker said: “We deliberately called it the Women’s Equality party because we, as Sandy always says when she is asked this question, we thought we’d be clear.
“Which is to point out that it is women who are discriminated against. But in that structural inequality that creates, it harms men too.
“That’s why our line is that equality is better for everyone. Because it’s true – and what’s been great in this campaign is that we have been voted for by lots of men, supported by lots of men, we’ve had lots of men volunteering – we’ve had a really positive response from men when we have been out canvassing.
“They understand that they don’t benefit from living in an economy where half the population can’t fully contribute.”
Picture courtesy of Women’s Equality Party, with thanks
